What happens is not defined by “free will” or “determinism”.
The brain’s reactions are not “pre-determined”.
They arise in relationship to the ever-emerging moment.
The brain changes and adapts based on its constantly streaming perceptual input.

I’ll take your word for it. I have every faith that you are right.

For as long as I can remember it felt like something was missing.
The human brain is programmed to color in the blank spots.
It is very good at that when it focuses on the physical reality.
It can build dams and invent telephones.
But when the brain tries to tamper with or understand the nature of its self it accomplishes nothing because
there is nothing to study.
After the event in Las Vegas it is known that along with sentient awareness comes a
primal discontent.
Life can never reach the safe zone or keep what it calls happiness for very long.
Now all of that is embraced as the ground rules.
No longer is there searching for answers to questions about the nature of self.
It simply is no longer there.
There is a response when my given name is heard….....but it is known that that is not who I am.
At this point, it is believed that no amount of research or understanding will extricate the self from its little throne.
Something else is needed.
The ground can be tilled, the seeds planted and perhaps they will grow into a beanstalk….....perhaps not.
Perhaps the beanstalk will be climbable and climbed.
Perhaps not.
There is no advantage in this apprehension.
Nothing is gained.
In a strange way, everything ls lost.
Flowing along with it there comes a strangely familiar contentment.
It really feels like one is flying headless through a storm.
The headlessness ,the storm, and the watching becomes who one is.

I must tell you that right now the organism here is extremely happy.
It just got the Geth Plasma Shotgun in Mass Effect 3.

For as long as I can remember it felt like something was missing.
The human brain is programmed to color in the blank spots.
It is very good at that when it focuses on the physical reality.
It can build dams and invent telephones.
But when the brain tries to tamper with or understand the nature of its self it accomplishes nothing because
there is nothing to study.
After the event in Las Vegas it is known that along with sentient awareness comes a
primal discontent.
Life can never reach the safe zone or keep what it calls happiness for very long.
All of that is embraced as the ground rules.
No longer is there searching for answers to questions about the nature of self.
It simply is no longer there.
There is a response when my given name is heard….....but it is known that that is not who I am.
At this point, it is believed that no amount of research or understanding will extricate the self from its throne.
Something else is needed.
The ground can be tilled, the seeds planted and perhaps they will grow into a beanstalk….....perhaps not.
Perhaps the beanstalk will be climbable and climbed.
Perhaps not.
There is no advantage in apprehension.
Nothing is gained.
In a strange way, everything ls lost.
Flowing along with it there comes a strangely familiar contentment.
It really feels like one is flying headless through a storm.
The headlessness ,the storm, and the watching becomes who one is.

For as long as I can remember it felt like something was missing.
The human brain is programmed to color in the blank spots.
It is very good at that when it focuses on the physical reality.
It can build dams and invent telephones.
But when the brain tries to tamper with or understand the nature of its self it accomplishes nothing because
there is nothing to study.
After the event in Las Vegas it is known that along with sentient awareness comes a
primal discontent.
Life can never reach the safe zone or keep what it calls happiness for very long.
All of that is embraced as the ground rules.
No longer is there searching for answers to questions about the nature of self.
It simply is no longer there.
There is a response when my given name is heard….....but it is known that that is not who I am.
At this point, it is believed that no amount of research or understanding will extricate the self from its throne.
Something else is needed.
The ground can be tilled, the seeds planted and perhaps they will grow into a beanstalk….....perhaps not.
Perhaps the beanstalk will be climbable and climbed.
Perhaps not.
There is no advantage in apprehension.
Nothing is gained.
In a strange way, everything ls lost.
Flowing along with it there comes a strangely familiar contentment.
It really feels like one is flying headless through a storm.
The headlessness ,the storm, and the watching becomes who one is.

Henceforth, ‘Kerouacian’ will be my back up hypothesis to explain your aphorisms. ‘Turig machine’ continues to be my favored explanation. You’ll forgive me if I await more evidence before I conclusively declare my belief on the nature of the Toombaru phenomenon.

Henceforth, ‘Kerouacian’ will be my back up hypothesis to explain your aphorisms. ‘Turig machine’ continues to be my favored explanation. You’ll forgive me if I await more evidence before I conclusively declare my belief on the nature of the Toombaru phenomenon.

I would expect nothing less.
Life has placed you at this table.
It’s probably too late to turn back.
I think they have barred the door.
This casino in not for the feint of heart.
There is nothing to win and everything to lose.
You’re not even sure what the game is.
The dealer spins out the cards…..but you can’t see them.
There may come…....or not…...a pivotal moment when your
hands will suddenly reach out to move that large pile of chips
to the center of the table.
And you will hear your voice say;
” I’m all In!”

I would expect nothing less.
Life has placed you at this table.
It’s probably too late to turn back.
I think they have barred the door.
This casino in not for the feint of heart.
There is nothing to win and everything to lose.
You’re not even sure what the game is.
The dealer spins out the cards…..but you can’t see them.
There may come…....or not…...a pivotal moment when your
hands will suddenly reach out to move that large pile of chips
to the center of the table.
And you will hear your voice say;
” I’m all In!”

I would expect nothing less.
Life has placed you at this table.
It’s probably too late to turn back.
I think they have barred the door.
This casino in not for the feint of heart.
There is nothing to win and everything to lose.
You’re not even sure what the game is.
The dealer spins out the cards…..but you can’t see them.
There may come…....or not…...a pivotal moment when your
hands will suddenly reach out to move that large pile of chips
to the center of the table.
And you will hear your voice say;
” I’m all In!”

Did you ever read Sartre? I predict Being and Nothingness would appeal to you. The ecstatic projection of the Being-for-Itself from the nihilation of the Being-in-Itself would certainly go all in on a pair of tens provided no face cards were showing.

Maybe I still don’t understand Sams premise on “no free will”. Does it not presume that all actions are predetermined by a myriad of previous actions, that any decision we think we make have already in effect, have been made for us by previous history, thus leaving nothing for us to really decide. It is just the “domino like” reactions of our brain to previous actions that cause us to do what we do? Correct assumption??

So if this is the case, nobody can ever really effect anything of consequence, it is just a giant pinball machine. Is that the assumption here?

Yes, so long as you don’t confuse the operation of the flippers as a causal agent.

Did you ever read Sartre? I predict Being and Nothingness would appeal to you. The ecstatic projection of the Being-for-Itself from the nihilation of the Being-in-Itself would certainly go all in on a pair of tens provided no face cards were showing.

I have read Sartre.
That of which I speak has nothing to do with existential nausea.
This emptiness is the ultimate fulness.
The edges between things dissolve and world of things disappears.
The conceptual overlay that had obscured the world breaks apart and the ever-emerging newness become the locus of identity.

There is a tribe in South America that take their children to a cave as soon as they are born.
In the cave, they are fed and sheltered for twelve years.
During their stay they are asked to imagine a world that has plants and animals and other living things.
On their twelfth birthday they are blindfolded and in a special ceremony, led by the entire tribe out into the rainforest.
The tribe chants as the blindfold is removed.
For the first time the child sees a thousand shades of green, macaws soaring, butterflies and shafts of light.
They spend the rest of their life in silent awe.

I have read Sartre.
That of which I speak has nothing to do with existential nausea.
This emptiness is the ultimate fulness.
The edges between things dissolve and world of things disappears.
The conceptual overlay that had obscured the world breaks apart and the ever-emerging newness become the locus of identity.

There is a tribe in South America that take their children to a cave as soon as they are born.
In the cave, they are fed and sheltered for twelve years.
During their stay they are asked to imagine a world that has plants and animals and other living things.
On their twelfth birthday they are blindfolded and in a special ceremony, led by the entire tribe out into the rainforest.
The tribe chants as the blindfold is removed.
For the first time the child sees a thousand shades of green, macaws soaring, butterflies and shafts of light.
They spend the rest of their life in silent awe.

it’s kinda like that.

Got it. However, Joseph Smith was smart enough to realize that he would need a minimum of three witnesses to attest to the veracity of his claims in order to sell them. This was a vast improvement on the twelve which Jesus thought necessary.

I have read Sartre.
That of which I speak has nothing to do with existential nausea.
This emptiness is the ultimate fulness.
The edges between things dissolve and world of things disappears.
The conceptual overlay that had obscured the world breaks apart and the ever-emerging newness become the locus of identity.

There is a tribe in South America that take their children to a cave as soon as they are born.
In the cave, they are fed and sheltered for twelve years.
During their stay they are asked to imagine a world that has plants and animals and other living things.
On their twelfth birthday they are blindfolded and in a special ceremony, led by the entire tribe out into the rainforest.
The tribe chants as the blindfold is removed.
For the first time the child sees a thousand shades of green, macaws soaring, butterflies and shafts of light.
They spend the rest of their life in silent awe.

it’s kinda like that.

Got it. However, Joseph Smith was smart enough to realize that he would need a minimum of three witnesses to attest to the veracity of his claims in order to sell them. This was a vast improvement on the twelve which Jesus thought necessary.